Pocketed egg tray



Oct. 12, 1954 E. 1.. SHEPARD 2,691,456

POCKETED EGG TRAY Filed Aug. 14, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 12, 1954 E. 1... SHEPARD 2,691,456

POCKETED EGG TRAY Filed Aug. 14, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. ERNEST L. SHEPARD ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 12, 1954 POCKETED EGG TRAY Ernest L. Shepard, Fairfield, Maine, assignor to Keyes Fibre Company, Portland, Maine, a corporation of Maine Application August 14, 1952, Serial No. 304,287

3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to packs or trays for fragile articles, such as eggs, incandescent bulbs, or like ovate articles. More particularly the invention relates to a combination flat and filler of the type which consists of a generally rectangular sheet of molded pulp fiber having plurality of spaced, vertically extending support posts formed thereon in longitudinal and transverse rows with intermediate rows of depending posts or cavities which form article-containing pockets.

The present invention is an improvement in such supporting trays and proposes to obviate some of the difiiculties encountered in utilizing egg-supporting packs previously constructed.

Recent advances made in the field of breeding and cross-breeding poultry have resulted in increasingly larger sizes of eggs, the increase in size being both along the major and minor axis of the egg. Such larger eggs are being marketed in increasingly larger quantities. To accommodate the shipping of such larger type eggs it has already been found necessary to deepen the standard-size egg crate in which such products are packed. However, the packing and shipping does not lend itself to any increases in length or width of the crate. The complications that would thereby result in the packaging machinery as well as the loss in floor space appear to be problems that are best not raised, even though egg breakage is thereby increased.

The present invention is directed to an egg tray having the same general boundary dimensions as the commonly used prior art type tray, while reliably providing sufiicient space for over-sized eggs without reducing the egg cushioning or the overall capacity of a standard crate.

The above as well as further objects of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following description of several of its exemplifications considered together with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. l is a top plan view of an egg packing tray embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a broken sectional view along the lines 2-2 of Fig. 1 illustrating the cross-sectional configuration of such filler flat along upwardly extended and downwardly depended post portions thereof;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of the fiat of Fig. 1 taken along the line 3-3 to better show some of the features of its construction; and

Fig. 4 is another sectional view similar to Fig. 3 showing how an egg is packed between two of the above flats.

In using egg trays of the instant type a crate having one or two compartments generally square in horizontal section is provided, as is well known. A pocketed filler flat tray, such as that disclosed in U. S. Patent 1,970,436 granted August 14, 1934, is then placed on the bottom of the crate in each compartment, with the pockets filled with eggs. A second identical filler flat tray is then placed over the lower row of eggs but is turned a quarter turn or 90 around a vertical axis with respect to the lower filler flat. A second layer of eggs is then placed in the cavities of this second tray, after which it is covered by a third tray rotated 90 with respect to the second, and so on until the crate is filled.

Reference will now be made to Fig. 1 of the drawings in which a tray according to the present invention is generally indicated by the numeral I and includes a boundary area of flat flange portions 2 along two edges and fiat flange surfaces 3 along the other edges. In the body of the tray there are formed a plurality of spaced upwardly extending hollow posts 4 which are oriented on the surface of the sheet into longitudinal spaced rows of six each and transverse spaced rows of five each. Intermediate the rows of upwardly extended posts are formed downwardly depending hollow posts or pockets 5, the posts 5 being oriented into spaced longitudinal rows of five each and spaced transverse rows of six each. Each of the pockets 5 serves as a receptacle for receiving the lower portion of an egg so that a plurality of eggs on the tray are held in position. The hollow posts 4 function as individual egg-protecting covers which overlie the upper portion of the eggs that are held in the pockets of a lower tray over which this tray is placed. The tray of Fig. 1 has 30 egg-receiving pockets and 30 full-sized posts and is made about 11 inches square in overall size, so as to fit in the standard crate.

Each of the raised post sections 4 is constructed with an octagonal configuration as seen in plan or sectional view. In other words, its sides 6 and 'l are fiat and angularly connected to form octagonal frusto-pyramidal shapes. The depending posts or pockets 5 are formed to have a shape substantially identical to the upward extending posts 4 and include a bottom octagonal surface joined by tapering sides 8 and 9. Both the support posts 4 and receptacle cavities 5 terminate in closed ends which are preferably 3 the manner set forth in the prior Patent No. 1,970,436.

Connecting the aligned posts 4 in both the transverse and longitudinal rows are formed channel-shaped rib sections it having end surfaces which merge with the sides I of the raised posts 4, and depending side surfaces which run into but can be offset from the depending sides 9 of the cavities 5.

The opposed edge boundary flange sections 2 have a central undul-ated recess portion which is adapted to permit ready gripping even when the tray is deep inside a crate. All the margins have half posts aligned with the rows of posts in the body of the sheet. The opposed edge flanges 3, 3 have upwardly extending half posts Hi formed as continuations of posts A. On the other sides 2, 2 only downwardly projecting half posts If are formed in the portions not occupied by the grip recesses. As indicated in Fig. 2 the half posts need not be as deep as or as wide as the full posts. The flanges 2 and 3 merge at the corners of the flat sheet in a rounded fillet and produce a continuous border surface around the periphery thereof.

The sides 6 of the upstanding posts 3, and the sides 8 of the pockets 5, together form walls ii that extend from the tops of posts ll to the bottoms of pockets 5. Four such walls H are distributed about the sides of each pocket and constitute egg-supporting surfaces between which the individual eggs are held in wedge-like manner somewhat similar to that shown in Patent No. 1,970,436.

However, as is more clearly indicated in Figs. 3 and 4, the portions 6 and 8 of the walls ii are not aligned in the same plane. Instead, these walls I I form an angularly bent surface in which portions 6 and 8 are concavely joined at an angle of about 3 to 10 degrees, preferably about degrees, as shown at 22. As a result, each pocket 5 has a slight peripheral concavity or outward bulge about half way down the height of its four egg supporting walls H. This slight bulging provides all the additional room needed for holding the larger sizes of chicken eggs between the trays, as indicated in Fig. 4. In this figure an egg is represented at at, one tray at 48,. and a covering tray at 59. It will be noted that the egg sits quite low in the pocket 5 of the lower tray, the center of the egg being below the post juncture line between the trays. Without the bulge, the eggs sit higher in the pockets and the pressing of the two trays together in order to bring the posts against each other, as shown in Fig. 4, causes the larger eggs to be subjected to sufficient pinching between the walls of the posts to cause breakage. The smaller or average size eggs can also be packed in the tray of Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, and will sit even lower in the pockets.

Although the pockets 5 have a width somewhat greater than heretofore used, the outer surfaces of the pockets do not project any appreciable amount into the egg-receiving space of a tray which is underneath it in a crate. By reason of the low position of the egg in the adjoining pockets, the pocket enlargements extend into the adjoining pockets at a zone above that which the maximum egg width occupies in the adjoining pockets. In other words the pocket enlargements are ofiset with respect to the equators of the adjoining eggs.

Best results are obtained with the above filler fiat construction when the junction or break line 22 is somewhat above the center between the top of the top posts and the bottom of the bottom posts. For egg-carrying purposes the juncture line is very effectively located about inch above this center. In Fig. 2 the downwardly depending pockets 5 are shown as extending down from the plane of flanges 2 or the plane of the tops of ribs [0, more than posts A project up from these levels, but this is not necessary since the levels of the marginal flanges and/or ribs can be readily changed.

A feature of the present invention is that in addition to providing more room for larger eggs, these eggs are supported in such a way that they are less subject to breakage as for example when they are unusually large and have to be forced into place. Such extra large eggs when packed in the above type of trays are supported by being wedged between the walls ll of the pockets, the wedging being under pressure as when one filled tray is covered by another filled tray and the combination packed down tightly to permit a cover to be secured over a crate compartment within which the trays are held. Such wedging walls when arched at the points of egg contact, as for example with the conical posts previously used, are mechanically extremely resistant to deilection even though the walls are only molded pulp. Between these prior art conical walls and the curved egg surface, there is practically a point contact so that the wedging stresses on the egg are extremely high. As a result eggs of extra large size are not infrequently broken during the packing, even before the packed trays are shipped.

In the tray construction of the present invention the egg-suporting walls are all fiat and such walls are much more yieldable so that the forces on the egg are reduced. In addition the angular concavity provided between wall sections 8 and 8 in accordance with the new construction effectively decreases the wedging angle between opposing walls sections is, 6, as compared with side walls that are not concave. As a result, the wedging forces applied against the sides of the egg are even further reduced and the pocket walls yield even more readily. This is particularly true of the larger eggs which sit relatively high in the pocket, so that below their equator they are supported solely on the wall portions 6, 6. These eggs can therefore be packed in the trays illustrated above without appreciable breakage.

The ribs iii in the tray are only to help keep it from sagging when lifted, and accordingly can be made in any desired form or entirely or partially omitted. Where the ribs are used, for example, their side walls need not be offset from the walls 9. The flanges 2, 3 can also be modified without affecting the egg-supporting features of the invention. More or fewer cut-outs can be provided in these ribs, either as finger-receiving apertures or merely for ventilation.

The article packing of the present invention is also suitable for use with other fragile articles such as incandescent lamp bulbs or the like, and makes possible the more compact packagin of such articles without sacrificing any cushioning protection. It is not necessary to have 30 or any other number of articles per tray, and fewer or more article-receiving pockets can be used. With trays having an even number of rows of pockets in each direction, the compact stacking of filled trays is effected with the successive trays rotated 180 with respect to each other around a vertical axis, rather than This will be more fully evident from a study of the structure shown in U. S. Patent Des. 124,413.

As many apparently widely difierent embodiments of the invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments thereof except as limited by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An egg tray for holding a layer of eggs in a packing case, said tray being in the form of an integral molded pulp sheet having a plurality of spaced hollow support posts integrally formed therein, said posts extending out from the surface of said sheet and being aligned in alternate rows with the posts in one row extending out in one direction from the sheet and the posts in the next row extending out in the opposite direction, the posts extending in one direction being oifset with respect to the other posts to form hollows surrounded by four upstanding posts and provide egg-receiving pockets having side walls which extend from the tops of the surrounding posts to the bottom of the hollow, each of the posts being completely formed of angularly connected flat surfaces, as an octagonal frusto pyramid post support for eggs,

the alternate side structures of each pyramid facing the surrounding pockets and having upper and lower wall portions concavely joined to each other to provide a peripheral bulge for increasing the pocket width at the egg-supporting areas and better receiving the larger sizes of eggs.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which the pocket side wall concavity is about five degrees.

3. The combination of claim 1 in which the posts in the tray form six rows of five pockets each and each row of aligned pocket-surrounding posts has its posts connected by a rib formation of angularly joined flat surfaces.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,205,872 Eaid Nov. 21, 1916 1,956,955 Kronenberg May 1, 1934 2,045,771 Graham June 30, 1936 2,078,927 Dorr May 4, 1937 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 820,268 France July 26, 1937 

